The company, a part of Global Investment Partners (GIP), a private venture capital fund for emerging markets, already has four outlets in Chennai and six in Bangalore and another in Mysore, while 25 of the new generation restaurants will come up before the end of the year.

Though still a virgin market, competition has hotted up over the past few years with several multinationals also entering the fray.

Compared to the 200 pizzas consumed per day twoyears back in Chennai, the city gobbles up 4,000 everyday now. But Delhi, with a daily consumption of 20,000 pizzas, continues to be the biggest draw for companies. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, with all companies put together reachingjust one per cent of the potential market, says Anand.

The biggest network will be in Delhi which should see 14 outlets opening up by mid-2000. Other cities will see a mix of super dine-in restaurants, medium-sized restaurants, delivery outlets and mobile pizza parlours at shopping malls, airports and event centres.

While the super dine-ins will have a seating capacity of 160, with space for a play-pen and other attractions for children, the other dine-ins will be smaller.

Pizza Corner set up shop in Chennai in 1996, unleashing a virtual pizza fight in the Indian fast food market. ``Though we have massive competition from multinationals, Pizza Corner, being a totally Indian company, is at an advantage as we understand Indian palates better, says Anand. Forinstance the outlets in Hyderabad will be serving tangier pizzas as Andhrites like spicier food. Apart from the mainline cities we will also be taking Pizza Corner to other second-rung cities starting with Coimbatore and Cochin.